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MTM Entrepreneurship / Project:
Virtual Reality (VR) as Innovative Media Product or Application
"Get smart people engaged in a smart city"

(Master - WS '19/'20)

C. Loebbecke

2 SWS, 6 CP

Fridays, 12:30 pm - 5:30 pm, selected dates see below PLUS mandatory visit to the WDR* Virtual Reality Truck on Campus on Monday, Oct. 21,'19

*Westdeutscher Rundfunk, German Public TV

Location: HS XXIII (WiSo-Building)

Start: Oct. 11, '19

Held in English

Mandatory Pre-Assignment - see below

Overview

In this course we investigate the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) media offerings or applications -- as an innovative opportunity for a mass media provider to gain and keep customers and / or as an innovative solution for doing good in and to a city. We outline four scenarios for future (mass) media consumption and consider them in the context of deploying VR products. Then students conceptualize a new VR product / application -- either for mass media profit or for doing good in and to a city (e.g., in German: www.stadt-koeln.de/smartcitycolognego or smartcity-cologne.de).

Dates and Location (max. 4 classroom dates) PLUS mandatory visit to the WDR Virtual Reality Truck on Campus on Monday, Oct. 21, '19

Oct. 11, Oct. 18, Nov. 08, Nov. 15, Dec. 06 - all '19, Jan. 10, '20 in HS XXIII (WiSo-Building), plus mandatory visit to the WDR VR Truck (covering the coal mine 'Steinkohlebergwerk' and the Cologne Cathedral) on Monday, Oct. 21, somewhere on campus (duration approx. 75 minutes, appointments to be fixed in the first course session).

Tentative Schedule -- details to follow:

Oct. 11 -- Media distribution / consumption trends and introduction to developing / conceptualizing a new VR product / application,

Oct. 18 -- Including guest speaker Thomas Hallet, WDR, on current WDR VR offerings (and the stories and thoughts behind them) -- plus course session for project development

Oct. 21 -- Monday -- mandatory, individual about 1 hour visit to the WDR Truck on campus, fixed pre-arranged time slots per person!,

Nov. 08 or Nov. 15 -- Presentation and discussion of first concept drafts,

Dec. 06 or Jan. 10, '20 -- Final presentation, possibly with guests in the audience.

Mandatory Pre-Assignment - due Oct. 10, '19, 11:00 am

Please watch the four videos (clips), about 2 minutes each, provided by Deloitte under www2.deloitte.com/de/de/pages/technology-media-and-telecommunications/articles/zukunftsszenarien-tv-video-branche.html (scroll down to "Die Zukunftsszenarien als Video").
- Present the four scenarios; important are the differences between the scenarios: who would make the business (and why?) [max 400 words total].

- Recommend a specific business strategy for a local content provider (e.g., German movie production company, German TV station, German YouTube channel, etc.) in each of the four scenarios; important are the arguments and - again - the differences in the four recommendations [max 200 words total].

- Outline how an absolute niche provider of some new Virtual Reality (VR) content or app could (commercially) succeed -- or would likely fail -- in each of the four scenarios [max 200 words total].
References are welcome, but not required; however, as soon as you use at least one reference (preferably academic!), you must provide a proper reference list.

Formalities

Have your name, Matr. Number, sMail address, study program, and begin of program (1st master sem.), your chosen task/title, then continue on the same page. No unnecessary page breaks / no pages! No empty lines -- nowhere!
Times New Roman 12 pt, single-spaced, scientific writing style, references IN THE TEXT (no footnotes) with a complete reference list (if you have at least one source) formatted appropriately with all required information (see mtm.uni-koeln.de).

Delivery

From your sMail account, please send an eMail to claudia.loebbecke <at> uni-koeln.de AND to denis.niederle <at> uni-koeln.de and attach a non-protected word file.

eMail subject line: MTM-EntreProject-I-Lastname (Lastname only, no accent etc!)

File name: MTM-EntreProject-I-Lastname (Do not forget the hyphens, do not include spaces or anything else in the filename!)

Course Grading

- Pre-Assignment: 25% - due Oct., 10, '19, 11:00 am via eMail (see above)
- Active participation / presentations during sessions (25%, individual)

- Intermediate assignment (20%, individual/group)

- Final paper - based on the final presentation (30%, individual/group)
All grading elements have to be passed in order to pass the course.
"Alle Prüfungselemente müssen mindestens bestanden sein."

Required Course Registration until Oct. 1, '19, 11:00 am

A successful registration for the examination requires

(1) an MTM-Master-Account,

(2) online registration [Additional Privacy Policy] HERE for THIS course, AND

(3) a signed application form [Additional Privacy Policy] in our mailbox, Pohligstr.1, 50969 Cologne

On Oct. 1, we will forward the participant list to KLIPS / WiSo-PA, which will allow you (only those registered for the course) to register for the examination. After that you can and must register for the examination by Oct. 9, '19. We will send those of you registered a reminding eMail to your sMail account.

Notwendige Veranstaltungsanmeldung bis 1. Okt. '19, 11:00 Uhr

Eine erfolgreiche Anmeldung erfordert

(1) einen MTM-Master-Account [Zusätzliche Datenschutzbestimmungen],

(2) Online-Anmeldung [Zusätzliche Datenschutzbestimmungen] für die Veranstaltung

(3) unterschriebenes Anmeldeformular in unserem Briefkasten, Pohligstr.1, 50969 Köln.

Am 1. Okt. leiten wir die Teilnehmerliste an KLIPS / WiSo-PA. Daraufhin können und müssen Sie sich selbst bis zum 9. Okt. '19 für die Prüfung anmelden. Wir werden den für die Veranstaltung Angemeldeten eine Erinnerungsmail an ihr sMail Account senden.

Required Exam Registration until Oct. 9, '19 on KLIPS / Notwendige Prüfungsanmeldung bis 9. Okt. '19 auf KLIPS (only for hose who registered in time for participating in the course)

For registration-related questions, please contact claudia.loebbecke <at> uni-koeln.de from your sMail account.